A former Duke University champion who wanted to ditch a job helping pampered suburbanites with their jump shots for a non-profit gig mentoring underprivileged New York City kids is suing the elite Westchester sports facility, saying they tried to block the career move.
Andrew Borman, who was a guard for Duke’s 2001 NCAA championship team, started working for Olympic-style training complex House of Sports, which boasts a “well-to-do New York suburban clientele,” in Jan. 2013, according to his Manhattan civil suit.
In June, Borman, who is also an ex-Division 1 coach at San Jose State University, gave his 30 days notice that he was leaving his management position at the private sports complex to join the non-profit New Renaissance Basketball Association in Manhattan.
That group’s mission is “to help underprivileged children … develop into quality student-athletes who can hopefully use their basketball skills to secure an education,” his suit says.
But House of Sports tried to block the move, saying Borman violated his employment agreement because the nonprofit RENS is a competitor, his suit says.
Borman says the two organizations aren’t in the same league.
“RENS and HOS have an entirely different business model: RENS is a nonprofit program that is free for all participants, whereas HOS is a for-profit program that charges its customers,” Borman says in court papers.
Plus Borman’s main job at RENS is to oversee an educational program that includes tutoring at St. Francis College in Downtown Brooklyn, the suit says.
The 120,000-square-foot facility in Ardsley, is also refusing to pay Borman, 33, money he is due for past work, he adds in the legal papers.
Borman wants to be released from his contract, and also wants his back pay and other damages.
A rep for House of Sports declined to comment saying the organization doesn’t discuss employment issues.